The first hiccup in your company's electric supply will have you scrambling to replace many of the computers... with GNU Abacus and GNU Pencil & Paper.
It's not just a technical issue. It's the design issue. There's absolutely no reason to store actual information in the passport. Information digest would serve as well for verification purposes, but cannot be used in identity theft. And yes, there are well known digest algorithms for biometric data (eg. storing only information about minutia points, instead of actual fingerprints).
Furthermore, whats the point of actually having data in the passport if the Police can access the SIS database?
Most European countries already issue biometric passports. US and UK has been pushing really hard on this issue (US requirement for visa waiver programme). The problem is that they didn't care much about privacy. As an effect the data is poorly protected and what's even worse, accessible by RF. So now, to steal someone's identity, you don't even have to have physical access to his passport. Just get within 20-30cm.
Of course, terrorist actually do use WWW, PGP, email, Flickr, YouTube, cell phones, trains, cars, subway, airplanes, food, water... SFW?
It's not FUD because they don't. It's FUD because so do hundreds of millions of regular folks.
There was a FUD about terrorist using PGP, there was FUD about terrorist using cell phones, there was even FUD about terrorist using Skype to communicate.
Anyways, what's the fuss? Terrorist on Facebook? Police should cheer, it'll be a lot easier for them to infiltrate these groups and identify their members.
Not $99, but $0. In Europe that is. Mobile phone companies sell (or rather give away for free) netbooks and regular notebooks equipped with HSDPA (either internal, or on a dongle). The catch -- 2 year data plan.
For example with Vodafone you can get Dell Mini 9.
Using smartphone you can define hooks, for example only put trough call from numbers, which are on your contact list or for example block all "hidden" numbers. You can also create blacklist.
So whats the point of having "a gizmo"? For landline? Someone who really wants to speak with me will ring me on the mobile anyway.
Slashdot Mirror
That must have been in the last century.
The first hiccup in your company's electric supply will have you scrambling to replace many of the computers ... with GNU Abacus and GNU Pencil & Paper.
They are part of Schengen Agreement.
Just to clarify, not quite. And not yet. But will be by May.
Actually, they've been a part of the system since 2004. And now they are fully implementing free travel.
As I'm sure you know, Switzerland is not part of the EU.
Irrelevant. They are part of Schengen Agreement.
It's not just a technical issue. It's the design issue. There's absolutely no reason to store actual information in the passport. Information digest would serve as well for verification purposes, but cannot be used in identity theft. And yes, there are well known digest algorithms for biometric data (eg. storing only information about minutia points, instead of actual fingerprints).
Furthermore, whats the point of actually having data in the passport if the Police can access the SIS database?
You don't see a threat in the fact, that anyone within few feet of you can access your private data?
Most European countries already issue biometric passports. US and UK has been pushing really hard on this issue (US requirement for visa waiver programme). The problem is that they didn't care much about privacy. As an effect the data is poorly protected and what's even worse, accessible by RF. So now, to steal someone's identity, you don't even have to have physical access to his passport. Just get within 20-30cm.
Of course, terrorist actually do use WWW, PGP, email, Flickr, YouTube, cell phones, trains, cars, subway, airplanes, food, water... SFW?
It's not FUD because they don't. It's FUD because so do hundreds of millions of regular folks.
Oh yeah, I forgot about the Flickr + steganography FUD. That one is like what, 2 years old?
There was a FUD about terrorist using PGP, there was FUD about terrorist using cell phones, there was even FUD about terrorist using Skype to communicate.
Anyways, what's the fuss? Terrorist on Facebook? Police should cheer, it'll be a lot easier for them to infiltrate these groups and identify their members.
I mean, there are no African nor Asian stalkers in this game. It's clearly racist ;-P
Not $99, but $0. In Europe that is. Mobile phone companies sell (or rather give away for free) netbooks and regular notebooks equipped with HSDPA (either internal, or on a dongle). The catch -- 2 year data plan.
For example with Vodafone you can get Dell Mini 9.
Using smartphone you can define hooks, for example only put trough call from numbers, which are on your contact list or for example block all "hidden" numbers. You can also create blacklist.
So whats the point of having "a gizmo"? For landline? Someone who really wants to speak with me will ring me on the mobile anyway.